Written Answers Tuesday 14 December 2010

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct a review of ambulance provision in Perthshire.

Nicola Sturgeon: The provision of ambulance services in specific localities across Scotland is the responsibility of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Cancer

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has on links between thyroid disorders and breast cancer.

Nicola Sturgeon: We are aware of a number of published studies suggesting links between thyroid diseases and breast cancer, however, evidence of an association is inconclusive and the issue continues to be the subject of debate. If individuals have any concerns, they should discuss these with their GP in the first instance.

  There are steps people can take to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer, for example, being more active, keeping bodyweight within healthy limits and limiting alcohol consumption. The Scottish Government is implementing a wide ranging programme of actions to help people to make healthier lifestyle choices.

Cancer

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultants specialising in thyroid conditions there are in each NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally as data on consultants specialising in thyroid conditions is not captured separately in the workforce statistics. Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland publish data annually as at 30 September 2010 and information showing the head count and whole-time equivalent of consultants by specialty, including endocrinology and diabetes, by NHS board number is available at:  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=Consultant_Staff_In_Post_2009.xls&pContentDispositionType=attachment.

  The latest information at 30 September 2010 will be published on 14 December 2010.

Community Planning

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance on planning and implementation of the change fund will specify the (a) need to recognise the role of unpaid carers and the support that they need to continue caring and (b) role of community health and care partnerships in local implementation plans.

Shona Robison: Access to the fund will be contingent on local partnerships – NHS, local authorities and third and independent sector representation – drawing up joint plans for its use. Local change plans will be prepared and submitted through local community planning partnership processes, and it will be up to each partnership to agree how to achieve this through local delegated and devolved arrangements.

  Guidance is under development with key partners from the above sectors and will issue by the end of this year. The guidance will include specific reference to the important role of unpaid carers and the need for partnerships to make appropriate provision for their support.

Diabetes

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to address diabetes-related excess mortality among women in the most deprived areas.

Shona Robison: The Keep Well and Well North programmes continue to deliver inequalities targeted health checks to those living in Scotland’s most deprived communities. Those patients found to have diabetes are provided with treatment, and added to the diabetes register, and as a consequence followed up, at a minimum, every 15 months, as required by the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF).

  Those people, identified through Keep Well, who are found to be at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including diabetes, are provided with appropriate treatment and where appropriate referred to further services aimed at reducing the risks to their health and promoting healthier lifestyles.

  To date, over 91,000 individuals have received a Keep Well health check. The Scottish Government plans to mainstream the Keep Well and Well North programmes from April 2012.

Diabetes

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the use of insulin pumps as a treatment for type 1 diabetes to bring Scotland into line with the European average of 20% of such patients using an insulin pump.

Nicola Sturgeon: We continue to encourage NHS boards to increase access to insulin pumps, in line with current guidance.

  Our Diabetes Action Plan, published in August, sets out a series of actions designed to support NHS boards make significant and sustained progress in improving pump provision. The action plan also contains details of each NHS board’s plans to improve access to intensive insulin pump therapy, and associated structured education, up to 2012-13.

  The Scottish Diabetes Group will continue to monitor progress on this issue on behalf of the Scottish Government. Information on pump availability, on a board-by-board basis, is also now included in the annual Scottish Diabetes Survey.

Drug Misuse

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation was undertaken by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde with (a) unit staff, (b) community addiction teams (CATs), (c) service users and (d) voluntary organisations on the (i) closure of the day units assessing and treating complex drug users at Gartnavel and Stobhill hospitals and (ii) transfer of functions to CATs from September 2011.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that it will engage extensively with all stakeholders, including service users and staff, over the next nine months to inform the development of a new service model with will cover the functions of the current approach whilst being more responsive to the needs of service users and communities.

Drug Misuse

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde should have asked the Scottish Health Council for its observations on the consultation processes for the (a) closure of the day units assessing and treating complex drug users at Gartnavel and Stobhill hospitals and (b) transfer of functions to community addiction teams from September 2011.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that a meeting has been arranged with the Scottish Health Council to take advice on effective patient focus, public involvement, participation and governance, and this will fully inform the board’s approach to meaningful stakeholder engagement on the redesigned model of service delivery.

Drug Misuse

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings it expects from the (a) closure of the day units assessing and treating complex drug users at Gartnavel and Stobhill hospitals and (b) transfer of functions to community addiction teams from September 2011.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has assured me that the key driver for change has been to deliver a high quality, sustainable service that better meets the needs of patients and their families. I understand financial modelling on the service redesign is still underway. However, the board has been clear that savings will only be sought and realised where this can be achieved without any detriment to patients or staff.

Drug Misuse

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde considers that the sites for assessing and treating those complex drug users at Gartnavel and Stobhill hospitals from September 2011 will provide the same quality of service as those currently in place.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has assured me that changes in the model of delivery will be achieved without any detriment to patients or staff or in relation to the settings in which services are delivered. As I would expect, the board is committed to providing high quality services and maintaining high standards of care for patients.

Education

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in changing the providers of the national advocacy service from ISEA (Scotland) to the new provider of advocacy services commissioned under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009, whether the transfer of undertakings (protection of employment) regulations (TUPE) regulations apply.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration was given to the transfer of undertakings (protection of employment) regulations (TUPE) obligations prior to appointing a new provider of advocacy services under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009.

Adam Ingram: The issue of whether the transfer of undertakings (protection of employment) regulations (TUPE) applies is a matter of law to be determined by the relevant parties or failing that by an employment tribunal.

Education

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37308 by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010, how much over £40,000 and how much under £100,000 are the Government’s estimated provisional costs for this new service.

Adam Ingram: The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 places a legal duty on Scottish ministers to secure the provision of an advocacy service to be available on request and free of charge to support parents and young people in tribunal proceedings. The Scottish Government awarded a grant to Barnardo’s, following a competitive process, to enable it to deliver that service in partnership with the Scottish Child Law Centre. The provisional costs are £40,127 for year 1, covering five months of operation, £97,202 in year 2 and £99,991 in year 3.

Education

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37308 by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010, whether the costs of this contract for advocacy services are higher than the EU procurement threshold at which such contracts should be publicly advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union .

Adam Ingram: The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 places a legal duty on Scottish ministers to secure the provision of an advocacy service to be available on request and free of charge to support parents and young people in tribunal proceedings. The Scottish Government decided to run a competitive grant process not a commercial tendering process to identify one or more organisations which would be awarded a grant to provide advocacy services. The EU procurement threshold is therefore not relevant in this instance.

  The Educational Development Research and Services (Scotland) Regulations 1999 and the Education (Additional Support for Learning) Scotland Act 2009 provide the legal basis for the payment of such a grant.

Education

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37310 by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010, what was discussed at the meeting between it and the new service providers on 21 October 2010.

Adam Ingram: The new Additional Support Needs National Advocacy Service will be delivered by a partnership between Barnardo’s and the Scottish Child Law Centre.

  Barnardo’s, which submitted the application on behalf of the partners, was informed that the application had been successful on 15 October. A short introductory meeting was held with both Barnardo’s and the Scottish Child Law Centre on 21 October. This provided an opportunity for Scottish Government officials to meet the key individuals who would be involved in delivering the service, to provide some feedback on the application and to discuss key actions in disseminating information about the new service.

Education

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37308 by Adam Ingram on 18 November 2010, whether a pre-qualification questionnaire was used before inviting interested parties to complete the tendering process.

Adam Ingram: The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 places a legal duty on Scottish ministers to secure the provision of an advocacy service to be available on request and free of charge to support parents and young people in tribunal proceedings. The Scottish Government decided to run a competitive grant process to identify one or more organisation that would be awarded a grant to provide advocacy services. Pre-qualification questionnaires were not part of the grant process.

  The Educational Development Research and Services (Scotland) Regulations 1999 and the Education (Additional Support for Learning) Scotland Act 2009 provide the legal basis for the payment of such a grant.

Energy Efficiency

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37227 by Alex Neil on 11 November 2010, how many homes benefited from the insulation measures delivered at stage 3 of the Energy Assistance Package in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010.

Alex Neil: Households that have benefitted from the insulation measures delivered at stage 3 of the Energy Assistance Package are shown in the following table:

  

1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010
1 April 2010 to 30 September 2010
Total


2,576
995
3,571

Energy Efficiency

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37227 by Alex Neil on 11 November 2010, how many homes benefited from the insulation measures delivered at stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010.

Alex Neil: Households that have benefitted from the insulation measures delivered at stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package are shown in the following table:

  

 
Insulation Only
Insulation aswell as Heating
Total Insulation


1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010
1,360
4,374
5,734


1 April 2010 to 30 September 2010
633
4,039
4,672

Energy Efficiency

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the estimated percentage of the extra fuel required to heat houses in (a) Edinburgh, (b) Glasgow, (c) Aberdeen, (d) Dundee, (e) Stornoway, (f) Braemar, (g) Inverness and (h) Aviemore compared with equivalent houses in Bristol.

Alex Neil: The information is not held centrally but the Scottish Government is able to estimate the extra fuel required by using data held in the Scottish House Condition Survey. This is modelled information using a standard heating regime to remove the vagaries of individual household use and behaviours but provides consistency of output for each of the areas concerned.

  The output for each area would reflect the differences in:

  Profile of housing stock types;

  Fuel use distribution across each of those dwelling types;

  Geographical differences such as latitude and elevation, and

  Climatic variation such as the degree day region and average wind-speed.

  The following table shows the estimated percentage for the differences in the principal heating system fuels and the difference overall.

  Percentage Difference, by Area, of Heating Fuel Required Relative to Bristol

  

Location
Mains Gas
Oil
Electricity
Other Fuels
All Fuels


Bristol (Base)
0%
0%
0.0%
0.0%
0%


Edinburgh
27%
19%
28%
17%
25%


Glasgow
18%
10%
19%
9%
16%


Aberdeen
48%
35%
50%
37%
46%


Dundee
24%
15%
25%
15%
22%


Stornoway
47%
34%
48%
37%
45%


Braemar
57%
44%
61%
44%
55%


Inverness
39%
28%
41%
29%
37%


Aviemore
40%
29%
42%
29%
38%



  Source: Scottish House Condition Survey 2009.

General Practitioners

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have provided their own interpreter for (a) GP appointments and (b) hospital appointments in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38018 on 13 December 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Gypsies/Travellers

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are made available to support the education of Gypsy/Traveller children.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting and improving the education of all children and young people. All children should benefit from an education system that is engaging, relevant, tailored to their needs and best prepares them for their future lives. Curriculum for Excellence should lead to improved quality of learning and teaching and increased attainment and achievement for all children and young people, irrespective of where that learning takes place.

  The Scottish Government recognises that some children and young people need extra help to enable them to benefit fully from education and is currently providing funding of £65,000 in this financial year to the Scottish Traveller Education Programme (STEP). STEP aims to improve educational opportunities for Scotland’s travelling communities.

  The Scottish Government is also providing up to £50,000 to the STEP eLearning and Traveller Education Scotland (eLATES) programme in 2010-11. The e-learning community programme provides distance learning with "anytime anywhere" access for Gypsy/Traveller and travelling show and fairground young people.

Gypsies/Travellers

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are made available to the Scottish Traveller Education Programme and the e-learning and traveller education project.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is providing funding totalling £65,000 to the Scottish Traveller Education Programme and up to £50,000 for the Scottish Traveller Education Programme e-Learning and Traveller Education Scotland (eLATES) in this financial year (2010-11).

Health

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the change fund outlined in the draft budget will be available beyond 2011-12.

Shona Robison: The change fund outlined in the draft budget is being allocated to health boards in 2011-12 on a recurrent basis. It will therefore be available beyond 2011-12 within health boards’ baseline funding.

Health

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances individuals affected by brain injury would be entitled to receive direct payments or access self-directed support.

Shona Robison: Individuals affected by brain injury, who have been assessed as requiring a social support service, are eligible for a direct payment. Under no circumstances should a person be refused a direct payment based purely on their condition or injury.

  The circumstances in which direct payments are not appropriate are where a person:

  is excluded by current regulations

  is incapable of consenting to a direct payment and does not have a guardian or attorney

  is barred because of gross misuse of a direct payment.

  A full list of circumstances where people are ineligible for a direct payment can be found in the Community Care (Direct Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 2003, section 2: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2003/243/regulation/2/made.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that those who live in care homes and who are in the at-risk category receive a flu vaccine.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government encourages all health boards to maximise uptake of seasonal flu vaccination amongst all those who are eligible. The vaccination of those in care homes is coordinated by local NHS health boards, care home managers and GP practices to ensure vulnerable groups are protected. This activity is supported by the national awareness raising campaign that seeks to ensure all those who are eligible are made aware of the vaccine and the protection it provides.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all new mothers are given a personalised postnatal plan.

Shona Robison: As part of our Keeping Childbirth Natural and Dynamic (KCND) programme, we introduced national pathways for maternity care that outline the minimum standard of postnatal care we expect all NHS boards to offer. These national pathways will assist NHS boards to ensure they have appropriate systems in place to provide high quality, evidence based person centred care for new mothers and their babies.

  The Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland is currently being refreshed and will compliment the national pathways by ensuring that maternity services fully take into account social influences for the best possible outcomes for both mother and baby.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether risk factors that predispose women to postnatal mental health issues are identified following the birth of a child.

Shona Robison: Care and treatment for women at risk of postnatal mental ill-health, including depression, will be delivered in line with national clinical guidelines, the implementation of which is the responsibility of individual NHS boards as an essential part of clinical governance.

  The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network national clinical guideline on the management of postnatal depression and puerperal psychosis includes evidence based recommendations on identifying risk factors, screening, diagnosis, management and prevention.

  Recommendations on risk factors identify the need for procedures to ensure all women are routinely assessed during the antenatal period for a history of depression; that psychosocial and biological risk factors for postnatal depression and puerperal psychosis should routinely be recorded in the antenatal period, and that pregnant women and their partners should be given information during the antenatal period on the nature of postnatal mood disorders and puerperal psychosis.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made implementing the licensing scheme for knife dealers.

Kenny MacAskill: The Knife Dealers Licensing Scheme came into force on 1 June 2010 and we will evaluate the operation of the scheme in due course. It is for local licensing authorities to deal with implementation within their area.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many retailers were (a) estimated to be selling non-domestic knives before 1 June 2010 and (b) have applied for licences since 1 June 2010 under the licensing scheme for knife dealers to sell non-domestic knives, broken down by local authority.

Kenny MacAskill: The Regulatory Impact Assessment that accompanied the weapons provision of the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 estimated that around 300 retailers would require a licence. No data is available centrally on the number of licences applied for.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-domestic knives were sold on average in each (a) of the six months before and (b) month after 1 June 2010.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-domestic knives have been sold since 1 June 2010, broken down by (a) month and (b) local authority.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

Maternity Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all maternity units are implementing the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline on postnatal care.

Shona Robison: As part of our Keeping Childbirth Natural and Dynamic (KCND) programme, we introduced national pathways for maternity care that outline the minimum standard of postnatal care we expect all NHS boards to offer.

  This is based on the best available evidence including NICE guidance.

Mental Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether a person sectioned under mental health legislation should be able to access unregulated counselling websites via social networking sites such as Facebook.

Shona Robison: Clinicians will discuss with their patients all aspects of their care including information and advice on treatment options where the evidence base is strongest and which will achieve the best possible outcomes.

  Those assessed as requiring evidence based psychological therapies will have those arranged and delivered in line with national clinical guidelines and on the basis of a thorough needs assessment. In this respect, we are committed to increasing access to evidence based psychological therapies for all. We are including a specific access target in HEAT in 2011-12.

  Otherwise, the question of access generally to the internet by patients who are subject to detention in hospital under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 is a matter for the hospital concerned in terms of individual patient care and applying the principles of the act.

Museums

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the report that it commissioned on future museum strategy.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to respond to the report that it commissioned on future museum strategy.

Fiona Hyslop: The report by the Museums Think Tank and my response were published on 12 December 2010.

  The report and my response are available on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/12/06145220/0 and

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/12/10121807/0.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-37687 by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 November 2010, on what date it will decide on the number of new entrants to the foundation training programmes for trainee doctors for 2011-12 and what the number of new entrants will be.

Nicola Sturgeon: Further to the answer to question S3W-37687, the number of new entrants to the foundation training programme in Scotland for 2011-12 will remain at 804.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, if numbers on foundation training programme for trainee doctors reduce, what contingency arrangements are in place for those medical graduates who do not obtain a place.

Nicola Sturgeon: I have no current plans to reduce foundation training programme places in Scotland.

Nursing

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many newly qualified (a) nurses and (b) midwives have applied to its one-year job guarantee scheme in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The total number of newly qualified nurses and midwives who have applied to the One Year Job Guarantee scheme in each of the last five academic years are detailed in the following tables:

  Newly Qualified Nurses

  

Health Board
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11(to-date)


Ayrshire and Arran
0
0
1
4
4


Dumfries and Galloway
1
0
3
2
3


Borders
0
1
0
2
1


Fife
0
2
1
2
12


Forth Valley
3
6
2
4
9


Greater Glasgowand Clyde
5
2
9
28
38


Highland
4
6
10
30
18


Grampian
3
1
1
3
7


Lanarkshire
1
4
4
7
8


Lothian
2
2
11
11
16


Orkney
0
0
0
0
0


Tayside
4
5
3
17
18


Western Isles 
0
0
0
1
2


Shetland
0
0
0
0
1


Total
22
29
45
111
137



  Newly Qualified Midwives

  

Health Board
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11


Ayrshire and Arran
1
6
8
0
0


Dumfries and Galloway
0
0
0
0
1


Borders
0
1
0
0
0


Fife
1
0
0
0
0


Forth Valley
4
0
0
4
4


Greater Glasgowand Clyde
2
2
6
4
9


Highland
7
8
12
11
0


Grampian
0
0
0
3
0


Lanarkshire
4
10
14
8
6


Lothian
2
0
1
2
3


Orkney
0
0
0
0
0


Tayside
2
2
2
7
3


Western Isles 
0
0
0
0
0


Shetland
0
0
0
0
0


Total
23
29
43
39
26



  This data has been supplied by NHS Education for Scotland, which administer the One Year Job Guarantee scheme on behalf of the Scottish Executive.

  Data is collected on an academic year basis (September to August).

Police

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many whole-time equivalent police support staff are currently employed by (a) each police force, (b) the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency and (c) the Scottish Police Services Authority.

Kenny MacAskill: Details are as follows:

  Police Support Staff (Full-time Equivalent) at 30 September 2010

  

Central
352


Dumfries and Galloway
253


Fife
475


Grampian
712


Lothian and Borders
1,252


Northern
346


Strathclyde
2,491


Tayside
565


Scottish Police Services Authority
1287


Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency
151


Total
7,884



  Source: The police force numbers are provided by each police force for the 2010 Scottish Policing Performance Framework. The Scottish Police Services Authority provided the support staff numbers for the Scottish Police Services Authority and the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency.

Police

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the comments of the Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police reported in The Times on 3 December 2010 who described making police support staff redundant and then back-filling with officers taken off the street, as an "unsustainable" and "crazy situation" that "wouldn’t make any sense at all" and should be avoided.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish budget is good for policing. The police have accepted that it will enable them to maintain police numbers at a level 1,000 above that of March 2007. It is up to police authorities and joint boards how to live within their budgets and how many support staff to employ. We are confident that they will make decisions that maintain frontline services to our communities.

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) long-term and (b) life sentence prisoners have been released without first being sent to open prison in each of the last three years.

Kenny MacAskill: The information requested is shown in the following table. This shows the most recent available data. Data for 2009-10 are due to be published on 20 December 2010.

  Figures include long-term and life prisoners recalled from licence. For such prisoners, it is not possible to determine whether they have spent time in the open estate prior to their initial liberation.

  Long-term and Life Sentence Prisoners Released from Custody: 2006-07 to 2008-09

  

 % of Prisoners who
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09


Long-term prisoners
 


Spent time in the Open Estate
39
38
36


Not spent time in the Open Estate
61
62
64


Life sentence prisoners
 
 
 


Spent time in the Open Estate
48
54
56


Not spent time in the Open Estate
52
46
44



  Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services.

Prison Service

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local businesses supply HM Prison Noranside with goods and services.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The only figures available are for Open Estate that includes Noranside and Castle Huntly. Separate data is not available for HMP Noranside.

  In the financial year 2009-10, the Open Estate has utilised 26 companies based in the DD7, DD8 and DD9 postcodes, which are local to Noranside, and utilised 69 companies in total throughout all DD postcodes in the same period.

  The data provided is taken from the Spikes Cavell database. There may be other local suppliers paid by cheque or cash that are not included in this database.

Scottish Government Contracts

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure that small and medium-sized companies are given access and opportunities to tender for public sector contracts.

John Swinney: The government has already put in place a number of measures that demonstrates its commitment to ensuring that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are given fair opportunity to bid for public contracts. In April 2009, I wrote to heads of procurement and chief executives throughout the Scottish public sector setting out my expectation that they take Six Simple Steps, to promote access to public sector contracts for SMEs, social enterprises and third sector bodies. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1265/0080942.pdf

  Earlier this year, in partnership with Scottish Chambers of Commerce, we established a working group with representatives from the public, private and third sector to explore additional ways to enhance the economic impact of public procurement and ways to enhance access to contract opportunities, particularly by smaller organisations. We have also implemented a website for free contract email alert service.

Scottish Government Staff

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many and (b) what percentage of its employees is paid at or above the living wage target of £7.15 per hour and how this compares with each year since 1999.

John Swinney: All 5,492 staff (100%) in the core directorates of the Scottish Government are paid above £7.15 per hour. The minimum rate of pay in the government is currently £7.23 per hour.

  The Scottish Living Wage was established in 2009 at £7.00 per hour. The minimum rate of pay of staff in the government in 2009 was set in 2008 as part of a three-year pay award and before the establishment of the Scottish Living Wage. At that time, 95.1% of the 5,591 staff were paid above £7.00 per hour.

  Since the Scottish Living Wage was only established in 2009, there are no comparison figures for the years prior to that date.

Sexual Health

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to run a sexual health campaign in the run-up to Christmas using the name, Sexmas Survival Guide.

Shona Robison: There will be no sexual health campaign of that name. It is important, however, that young people get the right advice on sexual health issues at this time of year, when we know high risk behaviour takes place. We will, therefore, be refreshing and enhancing existing online sexual health information and advice over the festive period.

Social Care

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding implementing self-directed support options for individuals and direct payments for care services.

Shona Robison: Self directed support guidance was issued to local authorities in July 2007 and is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/181224/0051499.pdf . This guidance primarily focuses on Direct Payments. On 23 November, the Scottish Government and COSLA published a joint strategy that outlines a 10 year vision for self-directed support. We have also set up an implementation group with COSLA and ADSW (Association of Directors of Social Work) representation. I expect this group will consider the need for further guidance as part of the delivery of its action plan.

Substance Misuse

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how the provisions in the Curriculum for Excellence on substance misuse will be assessed and reported on by HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE).

Michael Russell: HMIE include the assessment of a school’s approaches to promoting learners’ health and wellbeing in all school inspections. In doing so, HMIE talk directly to young people about how effectively the school helps them to keep themselves safe and well. This includes how they are being helped to develop their understanding on the use and misuse of substances. HMIE reports comment on the school’s overall success in promoting the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Vaccinations

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it is in contact with the Department of Health regarding the retendering process for a vaccine to protect against human papilloma virus (HPV)

Shona Robison: Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with counterparts within the Department of Health on all vaccination policy matters, including the retendering process for the HPV vaccine.

Vaccinations

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the funding mechanism is for the provision of a vaccine against human papilloma virus (HPV) under the arrangements in which the Department of Health procures the vaccine for the whole of the United Kingdom.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government meets the cost of all HPV vaccine used in Scotland as part of the national programme. The Department of Health currently procures the HPV vaccine on behalf of the UK administrations. NHS boards in Scotland ordered HPV vaccine stock from the central supply procured and held by the Department of Health. The Scottish Government is invoiced for the vaccines orders and reimburses the Department of Health accordingly.

Vaccinations

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will stipulate in the retendering process for the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination that the product should offer protection against the strains of the virus that cause genital warts as well as the majority of cervical cancers.

Shona Robison: The Department of Health has commissioned an update to the cost-effective modelling for the HPV vaccine. This model is taking into account new data on the potential protection provided by HPV vaccine against cancer and non-cancer diseases. This model will support the next procurement exercise for the HPV immunisation programme.

Vaccinations

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on procuring its own supplies of vaccine to protect against human papilloma virus (HPV) separately from the UK Government.

Shona Robison: At present, all childhood vaccinations are procured by the Department of Health on behalf of the four UK administrations. To date this process has always worked well and Scotland benefits significantly from this arrangement. While the possibility of a separate Scottish procurement process is something that we would always keep under review, there are currently no plans to adopt such an approach for the next HPV vaccine procurement exercise.

Vaccinations

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current (a) policy is and (b) recommendations are for the use of the shingles vaccine.

Shona Robison: Vaccination policy in Scotland is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent expert advisory committee that provides advice to the four UK administrations.

  On 29 March 2010, the JCVI published its recommendations on the shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine. The JCVI recommended that people aged 70 to 79 years should be vaccinated against shingles if the vaccine can be purchased at a cost effective price.

  The current sole manufacturer of shingles vaccine, Sanofi Pasteur, announced in April this year that it is not currently able to supply enough vaccine to support a vaccination programme across the UK. It is not possible to consider implementation of a vaccination programme in line with JCVI advice until this position changes and sufficient stocks of vaccine are available. This will be kept under review.

Weather

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources were given to local authorities for cold weather conditions following the winter of 2009-10.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government provided an extra £5 million, which was allocated to all 32 Scottish local authorities, to support the repair of potholes resulting from the severe weather last winter.

Wildlife

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a properly functioning network of deer management groups is vital to delivering sustainable deer management.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government takes the view that collaboration and participation in deer management groups is the most effective way to deliver sustainable deer management. This applies to most of the red deer range in the uplands. In the lowlands where roe deer predominate, other arrangements are likely to be more appropriate, and public authorities are more likely to play a key role in deer management.

Wildlife

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average level of attendance at deer management group meetings was in the last two calendar years, expressed as a percentage of estate owners or their representatives who are members of these groups.

Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage does not collect systematic data on deer management group membership or attendance. An attempt to assess attendance was carried out for the year 2009-10. This assessment indicates that 63% of landowners who are members of a deer management group, or their representatives, attend meetings.

Wildlife

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the adequacy of participation in deer management groups.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government takes the view that collaboration and participation in deer management groups is the most effective way to deliver sustainable deer management. We recognise, however, that attendance and practical engagement within deer management groups needs to better represent a wider range of both public and private interests.